Baltimore Orioles Superstar Setting Tone In New Role

Gunnar Henderson is helping the Baltimore Orioles get off to great starts from the leadoff spot.

Jun 8, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have many good players, but Gunnar Henderson is the one who sets the tone for them.

Statistically, he's their best player, leading the Orioles in home runs (21), OPS (.974) and WAR (4.6). He's also their most reliable, as he's the only one who's played in all 65 of the team's games so far.

Henderson's been Baltimore's leadoff man in all but three of those contests, setting the table for one of the best offenses in baseball. After batting Henderson all over the lineup during his AL Rookie of the Year campaign last season, manager Brandon Hyde has committed to Henderson as his everyday leadoff hitter, replacing Cedric Mullins.

Suffice it to say, the move has paid off. Henderson's flourished in the role with seven leadoff homers, often giving the Orioles an early lead before fans even have time to sit down.

His most recent leadoff bomb came during Monday's 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Henderson launched the first pitch of the game from Ryan Pepiot out of the park to dead center, giving Baltimore an instant 1-0 lead en route to its fourth straight win.

Another day, another Gunnar Henderson lead-off home run 🔥@markdero7 hits the Skybox to break down the @Orioles phenom and the spark he's providing at the top of an already dangerous lineup.#MLBCentral | #Birdland pic.twitter.com/XBFFcoMOe1

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 11, 2024

Credit Henderson for having an aggressive approach and looking to do damage early in the game. Many hitters are often looking to get their timing down in their first at-bat and need a few innings to settle into the game, but not Henderson. He's ready to go after all of his intense preparation and comes out swinging, ambushing unsuspecting pitchers.

That said, it's fair to wonder if his elite power is being wasted a bit at the top of the batting order. Fourteen of his 21 homers this year have come with the bases empty, and he'd likely have more RBIs if he batted in the middle of the order.

Henderson's clearly comfortable, though, so it's probably not worth changing at this point. He's having an MVP-caliber season from the leadoff spot and belongs there until further notice.